KEY POINTS:
When her father collapsed, 6-year-old Pearl Tottenham knew exactly what to do
And St John Ambulance staff say her quick actions probably saved her father's life.
Quinton Tottenham, 26, was at home looking after Pearl and his other daughter, Ivy, 2, while his wife was at work when
he had a seizure and collapsed about midday on Saturday.
"I was in the kitchen. I'd just given them both their lunch," Mr Tottenham told the Herald.
"The last thing I remember was going to the fridge. After that I remember waking up in an ambulance."
For his elder daughter, the situation wasn't so simple.
"I saw my Daddy fall," Pearl said.
"He had fallen and he had hurt himself. Then I called the ambulance."
Pearl told paramedics her father was "going wriggly on the floor and his eyes were flickering".
She then gave them all the information they needed to get to the family's Glenfield home.
At the 111 call-taker's request, Pearl also ran to get a neighbour.
Using her own personal "fairy" diary in which she keeps her family's cellphone numbers, Pearl gave the paramedics her mother's cellphone number so they could tell her to go to North Shore Hospital.
She also mopped up a pool of blood on the floor so paramedics would not slip on it. The family believe it came from Mr Tottenham's nose during the seizure.
During the event, Pearl also had to reassure Ivy, who had become upset.
Asked if she was scared during the ordeal, Pearl said: "A little bit."
She said she knew to call 111 "because my family kept telling me the phone number".
Her parents are grateful and proud and St John staff were impressed at Pearl's composure.
St John Ambulance northern communications centre team leader Murray Bannister said Pearl's "remarkable" actions had been noted by the calltaker and by staff who attended the scene.
"Everybody who was involved is just so impressed," he said.
"I know of other excellent calls received from children but believe this is an exceptional call many adults would fail to equal."
Michelle Stevenson, the paramedic who treated Mr Tottenham, was equally astounded by Pearl's actions.
"The confidence, foresight and calmness of this little girl were outstanding.
"She did a far better job than most adults in a stressful circumstance."
Mr Tottenham was discharged from hospital about 8pm on Saturday.
He will see a neurologist to find out what caused the seizure, the first he has had.
